M
Member ID2
That's another issue with tubes. They can be real health hazard. The combo of warmth, poor ventilation and moisture is the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
V
VyCanis
R
RainbowBrite
When you bought the wheel did it say the size?
V
VyCanis
27-28 cm/ 11 inches
R
RainbowBrite
That is a good wheel. You can have a look when your hamster is running and if their back is straight then it is a good fit.
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It's perfect! They are great wheels. It's also a silent wheel 
It has ball bearings. The plastic trixie wheel is usually fairly quiet but some can be noisy or squeaky - whereas this wood one is silent. It's very nice. However most people paint the interior at least, with plasti kote enamel paint - which is pet safe, no toxic fumes and water based. Not many suitable things to paint them with. This is just to help waterproof the inside in case the hamster pees in it.
So if you haven't put the wheel in the cage yet you might want to consider that. If you have put the wheel in the cage already, don't worry about it, you can still wipe/wash them if they do get pee'd in I did that with my first wood wheel and used to scrub it under a tap - but not very often - only thing is it does shorten the lifespan of the wheel.
Not all hamsters pee in their wheels though so you might be lucky! This is the plastikote if you're thinking of doing that.
Once the wheel is in the cage he might be very upset if you take it out again! On the other hand if you take it out in the morning when he's gone to bed and give it a coat of plastikote, it will be dry by evening. But do check it doesn't still feel sticky - it's very thin watery stuff so needs to be painted on thinly. Most people do two coats but I have only done one coat before and it still seals it and makes it wipe clean and I think that is enough in a situation like this!
Plastikote link: I just use a half inch or 1 inch normal paint brush to paint it on thinly - mainly over the cork running surface and the back inside of the wheel and the rim. Only takes about 10 minutes.
Also check the quality to make sure there are no splintery areas - occasionally quality control isn't the greatest. Since having hamsters I always have a piece of sandpaper handy!
It has ball bearings. The plastic trixie wheel is usually fairly quiet but some can be noisy or squeaky - whereas this wood one is silent. It's very nice. However most people paint the interior at least, with plasti kote enamel paint - which is pet safe, no toxic fumes and water based. Not many suitable things to paint them with. This is just to help waterproof the inside in case the hamster pees in it.So if you haven't put the wheel in the cage yet you might want to consider that. If you have put the wheel in the cage already, don't worry about it, you can still wipe/wash them if they do get pee'd in
I did that with my first wood wheel and used to scrub it under a tap - but not very often - only thing is it does shorten the lifespan of the wheel.Not all hamsters pee in their wheels though so you might be lucky! This is the plastikote if you're thinking of doing that.
Once the wheel is in the cage he might be very upset if you take it out again! On the other hand if you take it out in the morning when he's gone to bed and give it a coat of plastikote, it will be dry by evening. But do check it doesn't still feel sticky - it's very thin watery stuff so needs to be painted on thinly. Most people do two coats but I have only done one coat before and it still seals it and makes it wipe clean and I think that is enough in a situation like this!
Plastikote link: I just use a half inch or 1 inch normal paint brush to paint it on thinly - mainly over the cork running surface and the back inside of the wheel and the rim. Only takes about 10 minutes.
Also check the quality to make sure there are no splintery areas - occasionally quality control isn't the greatest. Since having hamsters I always have a piece of sandpaper handy!